Slade dashed in, grinning when he returned. Without a word, he hopped back in the SUV, drove a few hundred yards, then turned off onto a dirt road. They passed a few small cabins, stopping at one at the end of the road.
“I figured we’d get more privacy here.” Slade watched Noah, expectation showing on his face.
Quiet. No cars or other manufactured noises. Just birds and the distant waterfall. The scent of pine hung heavy in the air, reminding Noah of the cabin where he’d been raised, now burned to the ground. A moment of heaviness filled his heart.
“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it?” Slade’s dark brown gaze bored into Noah.
“What? Oh, yeah. A moment of homesickness, ya know?”
The stiff set of Slade’s shoulders relaxed. “We have a few days before we have to be anywhere. I thought we could use some downtime. It’s off-season. Only one other cabin is rented, and they’ll be gone in two days.”
Alone. Perfectly alone.
In time for the full moon.
On the other hand, this sounded like the plot of a horror book Noah read once. Okay, so twice. Or three times. But as he took in their surroundings, he found no fault with the location. Besides, nothing scarier in the woods than a werewolf. Had Slade found this place simply to make Noah happy?
If so, he succeeded. But… “You know we don’t have to stay here on my account, right?”
Slade turned off the engine. “Aww, who wants a stuffy old motel room where I worry someone’s gonna scratch the Harley or try to steal from me when we can be way out here?”
Noah smiled. “I like it. Thanks.”
Slade shrugged, turning away, scent changing subtly. Satisfaction? Something else too. Lust? Really? Really.
Noah suddenly looked at his savior through new eyes. The scent gave him something to think about while hauling in their baggage, easing some of the guilt over some sensual late-night fantasies.
The cabin came equipped with a small kitchen. Paul had done basic cooking, but Noah didn’t cook full meals, subsisting mostly on sandwiches. He often shifted and feasted on rabbits while living alone.
While Noah unpacked, Slade backtracked to a grocery store they’d passed a few miles back to buy supplies. They found a grill and charcoal in the backyard. Slade fired up the grill.
The hunks of raw meat made Noah’s mouth water. This close to the full moon, more wolf instincts came forward. The steaks weren’t the only things inspiring hunger.
Knowing Slade might not oppose the idea, mating came to the forefront of Noah’s mind. His never mating before didn’t stop highly detailed dreams. He’d read about humans mating in his books, read and watched porn whenever possible. Was wanting to mate a human wrong?
Not knowing any wolves left few options. However, with a whole pack to choose from, he’d still want his savior-turned-boss.
He stared at the leafy greens Slade bought. What was Noah supposed to do with these? Meat went best with potatoes.
Slade came in. “What’s the matter?”
“What are these for?” Noah held up the greens.
“For a salad.”
“Salad. You’re gonna eat these?” Sure, Noah knew about salads, saw other people eating them at the diners Slade took him to, but men like him and Slade? Eat lettuce without a tasty burger-patty garnish?
With a laugh and a clap on the shoulder, Slade asked, “Can you tend the steaks outside? I’ll take care of things in here.”
Noah dutifully trotted out to the grill, taking a good whiff of Slade in passing. Yes, still lust.
Would Slade act on the lust, knowing Noah wasn’t the same species?
The salad wasn’t as tasteless as Noah feared, though no comparison to rare steak. Noah and Slade sat outside in two lounge chairs by a fire, sipping beer after dinner.
“Tell me about you,” Noah grew brave enough to ask. Strange how, in their weeks together, Slade said little about his past.
“Nothing much to tell. I got three brothers. My parents divorced when I was a kid. Dad had his problems, but overall, he was okay.”
